Ten-year-old Leo Tunney, representing France but with strong local connections, was among the competitors at last week’s Champion of Champions World Junior Golf Championship at the Lough Erne Golf Resort.

Leo’s dad, Paul, is from Trillick and mum, Laura, is from Lisnaskea but they have lived in France, close to the border with Switzerland, for the past ten years with the couple working across the border in Geneva.

Paul explains that it is only relatively recently that the youngster has taken up golf.

“Leo only started golf about a year and half ago during lockdown,” he said.

“I was going to a pitch and putt beside our house and he wanted to come and he picked it up straight away and loved it.

“We then played different courses and he had a few lessons, and he got into a club in France and has excelled.

“He is playing all over France at the minute.”

It was during a trip home at Christmas time though that they found out about the Champion of Champions tournament.

“We came home at Christmas as we always do, and there was a tournament on at Castlerock in Derry, and Leo always wanted to play a links course so we brought him there and we found out about this tournament of Champions.”

Leo qualified to represent France at the tournament where he would come up against the cream of youth golf and it was an added bonus that it was to be played at the Fermanagh course.

“It happened to be at the Lough Erne which was perfect for us as we were coming home for a holiday.

“Leo played in the U-12 section and it was one day at Castle Hume, and then two at Lough Erne and he absolutely loved the experience.

“It was superbly organised and I have to say Fermanagh looked brilliant.

“There were 250 kids from 40 countries, from all over the world – the top junior champions from all around the world – and the standard was incredible. As I say, it was just a briliant experience to play in something like that,” added dad Paul.